For the first time since Grant Hill pulled back the ball and launched the pass three-quarters of the length of the Spectrum floor, for the first time since Christian Laettner caught it, dribbled once spun and hit the fall-away jumpshot that sealed what is simply known as The Greatest Game Ever, Rick Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski will go head-to-head on a basketball court.

Pitino’s second-ranked Louisville Cardinals will play Krzyzewski’s fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils on Saturday night in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas (9:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network).

It’ll be the first time the two Hall of Fame coaches -- with more than 1,500 wins between them -- will match wits since the famous Duke-Kentucky matchup in the Elite Eight of the 1992 NCAA Tournament. Duke won the game, 104-103 in overtime, on Laettner’s buzzer-beating shot on March 28, 1992.

"We were in a moment in '92 and he recognized that even though he was on the losing side. It was incredible," Krzyzewski told reporters Friday night. "It's really one of the more incredible things I've seen an opposing coach do. One of the things that I really respect about Rick is we both understand that the game is bigger than us.

“Sometimes the basketball gods you realize they put you in moments as long as it's not your moment, it's the game's moment, they might put you in another one."

Said Pitino: “I hope that it’s as good of a game. ... We consider it a real treat to be playing in the championship.”

There is great admiration between to two legendary coaches. Krzyzewski said he and Pitino have had many conversations about the 1992 game over the last 20 years. Krzyzewski says Pitino, if not for trips to the NBA to coach the Knicks and Celtics, might well rival his record 932 wins.

“My hero has always been John Wooden, because I thought he was the greatest teacher in any sport,” Pitino told reporters. “Mike is the modern-day version of John Wooden. Everything about his humility and his teaching ability and what he accomplishes is just like Coach Wooden.”

Saturday night’s game involves some interesting matchups between their current teams. Duke, and especially point guard Quinn Cook, must contend with Louisville constant full-court press that forced 23 Missouri turnovers in the Atlantis semifinals. And Louisville must defend the 3-point line against a Duke club that’s shooting 39.8 percent from the arc while also work to contain center Mason Plumlee, who is averaging a double-double (20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds).

“They’re on a roll and we’re on a roll,” Louisville star point guard Peyton Siva told ESPN on Friday night. “Tomorrow, we come head-to-head.”